Hypes: Faster Than a Speeding Train, Able to Leap Tall Investment HurdlesGripes: Automatic Tranny Tends to Hunt For Upper Gears at Steady Speed

To give you some idea of how rare this car will someday be, my test Camaro, finished in Silver Ice Metallic, and built in June of 2012, carried a VIN number whose last 5 digits read 00081. A VIN Number that low borders on prototype/pre-production status. It’s hard to top that for rarity! And better yet, at $65,800, this Camaro is also a stunning bargain. If you’re young enough to park it in a garage and wait 30 years to sell it at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in 2043, you can plan on harvesting more than a quarter million bucks for this super Chevy. Why? Because history dictates that ZL1 Camaros from the late 60s are worth at least that much today, and there’s no reason to expect future financial performance will differ from the accepted norm.

The 580hp supercharged ZL1 is a stellar performance car, one that will gradually disappear from the scene as government-imposed 54MPG dictates sound the death knell of 14MPG ground pounders like the ZL1. But it’s not too late to enjoy the ultimate in musclecar status if you act now. The ZL1 is available as a coupe or a convertible. The coupe is lighter and stiffer than the convertible, but the convertible will be the more valuable investment in the long run because GM will build fewer of them since its base price is $5,450 more expensive than the coupe. Personally, I would elect to buy the coupe for its better handling, but I have to admit that the convertible I drove made a stout case for a drop top.

For one thing, it’s so much easier to see out the back when the top is down. The stylistic limitations to visibility of the latest 5th generation Camaro mean it’s difficult to see anything in back of you in the coupe, or in the convertible when the top is up. Luckily, the week I spent with the ZL1 was clear and warm enough to leave the top down most of the time. Once you’ve swiveled a header latch handle open, the rest of the job is automatic. Although you don’t need to use it, Chevy fits a nicely fabricated folding tonneau cover which gives the car a finished look and takes only 3 minutes to fit.

Minutes before the much anticipated debut of the Chevy Camaro Z28, it was all over Twitter that the car revealed would actually be a ZL1. A high performance Camaro, the aluminum hood is raised with a vented insert, rear diffusers and spoiler, and 20 inch forged aluminum wheels. Under the hood is the LSA 6.2L V8 engine with a 6-speed manual transmission. The ZL1′s power comes from a supercharged aluminum-block 6.2-liter V8 producing an estimated 550 hp.

The interior is given as much attention as the exterior design with microfiber suede inserts on heated leather seats. Unique to the ZL1 is a leather wrapped shifter and steering wheel, redesigned with the bottom of the wheel squared off and ZL1 badges. The ZL1 is still in development, though, and is projected to be available in early 2012. The ZL1 name is taken from the 1969 Camaro ZL1, which had an aluminum block 440-hp 427-cubic inch V8.

Porsche 918 RSR
At a 6:30 a.m. press conference in snowy Detroit, the press gathered around in anticipation of the first reveal of the day. With smoky fanfare, Porsche rolled out their 918 RSR , a high-end hybrid sports car. The best of the 2010 Spyder concept and 911 GT3 R hybrid were combined to create the fluid yet powerful two-seat coupe powered by a V8 mid-engine. Two electric motors on the front axle contribute as well as store power while braking, utilizing its flywheel accumulator – taking the place of a second seat to the right of the driver. On the console, modern touch technology is eschewed in favor of rocker switches. Finishing aesthetic touches include brown leather bucket seats and steering wheel, wing doors, with the body painted a cool blue accented with bright orange racing stripes and brake calipers. It’s just a shame that the 918 RSR didn’t stick around for more admiration during the public show days.

Who wouldn’t want a ’68 Camaro or 64-1/2 Mustang in their garage – much less as their daily driver? I have lusted after a ’68 Camaro ever since I skipped school one day of my sophomore year in high school with my older brother’s friend. He had a bright orange 1968 Camaro – rusted out and torn up, but with a pumped up V8 engine and manual transmission. We practiced burn-outs for a few hours in an abandoned parking lot and then when all the kids were out front waiting for the buses, he performed an amazing display of power by leaving 30 feet of skid marks and plenty of smoke. Those were the days!

But that was then. Now I’m a middle-aged engineering professional and parent, working 50-60 hours per week with responsibilities at home too. Who has the time and money for the classic muscle car obsession? And for those that do, can you daily drive it? Would you daily drive it?

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) had much to offer this year, but what I was most impressed with was how hard the American car underdogs are trying to win back individual drivers. Instead of choosing to remain in sad, little rental car fleets, they are going for “Most Improved Player,” while also staying true to the more positive parts of their images. I know, I know, some of you communists are thinking, “What positive parts?” but allow me to give props to one recent effort.

I need to get this out of the way: Camaro’s Synergy Green Special Edition is NOT green in the trendy sense; it’s not a an electric vehicle, or even a hybrid. It’s actually green. REALLY green. “Shrek” Green. So what’s up with the green, and why do I sort of love it? Camaro spoke to me personally about it–me, and 3000 other enthusiasts.

Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, a name that should really need no introduction to serious American hot rod enthusiasts out there, will be bringing a version of the latest Trans Am to this year’s upcoming SEMA show. It’s got all of the Trans Am goodies you remember:

Introduction
I’ve been pretty stressed out lately, been very busy at work, just moved into a new house and my wife and I are expecting our first baby. Yeah, a little stressed out. So when my editor called to tell me that a 2010 Camaro SS2 was on its way, I was ecstatic! Just as Bumblebee in Transformers coming to Earth to save Sam Witwicky from the Decepticons, this silver ice metallic Chevrolet Camaro SS2 arrived to rescue me from the tense situation in my life. And just like Bumblebee and Sam, I formed an immediate bond with the SS2, with its 6.2 L V8 with SFI pumping out 426 HP paired with a 6-speed manual, capable of hitting 60 MPH in 4.9 seconds. I loved the twin black striping down the middle of this silver tester, making it a Raiders themed kick-ass Camaro.

Hot off it’s duties pacing the field at the Daytona 500, Chevy’s highly anticipated 2010 Camaro will be pacing this years Indianapolis 500. Duties will start in early May, culminating with the 500 mile race itself on Memorial Day Sunday, the 24th. The revelation was made by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during a press conference that included past winners Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser Jr. and Eddie Cheever Jr. It wasn’t specified who would be driving the pace car this year during the race, but any of those three would be OK chauffeurs, having a total of six 500 wins between them.

Naturally, the Indy 500 pace car Camaro will have a garish paint job, and no doubt this, or some version of it, will be offered as a dealer installed sticker kit on the limited run Camaros sure to follow. No, that’s not official, but Chevy always does this, so it would be pretty safe to assume this time around. In addition to the Indy-specific paint job, the Camaro pace car will also get a roof-mounted light bar, and a special pace car lighting system. Essentially that’s color-keyed strobe lights where the turn signals used to be. Upgrade to the brakes will probably happen, but other than that, it should be pretty much a stock 2010 Camaro SS.

According to Malaysian auto guy Paul Tan, GM has decided against production of the right hand drive version of its highly anticipated new Camaro. (Yes, here at Car Review, we literally go to the ends of the Earth to get you news.) First, this isn’t all that surprising, given the financial straights that GM is currently in. making an RHD version of a car is not that simple. Lots of things like wiring looms, hydraulic lines and the like have to be re-routed, if not wholly re-designed and that makes the cost go WAY up. Just ask the British. And another thing to note: Why do you think the instrument cluster is centrally located in cars like the Mini Cooper and the Scion xB? Because that way, all you have to swap in the steering column, and you can make either a U.S. or a Japanese version much easier.

The other thing about GM ditching the RHD Camaro is: Really?! Was GM really going export Camaros to RHD markets? That’s strangely fascinating. It seems like a whole lot of work to be able to sell that kind of car in England, India, Japan and Malaysia (who else is RHD out there? You ever notice that those who are, used to be part of the British Empire?).

As Paul Tan himself put it, “If you’ve got loads of cash and really want to drive a Chevrolet Camaro in Malaysia with the help of your friendly neighborhood parallel importer, you’ll have to sit on the left side of the car … “I bet.

Of course this does bring up the interesting possibility that there are gearheads out there in the jungles of Malaysia that are really into American pony cars, and doesn’t THAT sound like a interesting car club?